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I\u2019ve been downloading a lot of interviews lately by Brandi Miller, a writer, equity advocate, and minister, among many other things. On her podcast, Reclaiming My Theology, she begins every interview with a question that sounds simple, but gets complex answers: \u201cHow do you describe who you are?\u201d

As humans, we can be many things: consistent or conflicting, led by personal or professional goals\u2014there is no wrong answer to the question of how we construct our identity, both for ourselves and the world around us. And the way Brandi Miller leads into her conversations has impacted how I\u2019m thinking about these Good Beer Hunting podcasts, and the people we talk to. That\u2019s why, when you hear Latiesha Cook in just a few moments, we\u2019re going to start by asking her that same question about describing herself. It\u2019s one she\u2019s been rightfully asking of the U.S. beer industry for the last few years.

As CEO and president of Beer Kulture, a nonprofit focused on equity and \u201cchanging the world one beer at a time,\u201d Latiesha is an important voice, and offers a valuable point of view as a Black woman encouraging the very white, very male beer community to reassess and think about how it wants to describe itself. There are many social, cultural, and empathetic reasons to do this even before considering economic ones, like the business-focused idea of why it\u2019s finally time to expand craft beer\u2019s consumer base.

And the way Latiesha sees it, this movement and what she wants to accomplish with her team at Beer Kulture boils down to one, easy phrase: \u201cSimply being human.\u201d

So let\u2019s turn it over to her, hear her story, and find out how she describes herself, and what she hopes to hear from the industry around her as it wrestles with the simple, powerful questions of what it is, and who it\u2019s for.

This is Latiesha Cook of Beer Kulture. Listen in.